5 turnovers doom Hawaii football team in 34-17 loss to Nevada

Nevada’s Toa Taua rushed for two touchdowns and the Wolf Pack forced five Hawaii turnovers to beat the Rainbow Warriors 34-17 tonight at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Junior Carson Strong threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolf Pack (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West), who lost the previous two meetings against the Rainbow Warriors (3-4, 1-2).

Freshman Brayden Schager carried the load at quarterback for Hawaii with Chevan Cordeiro still injured. Cordeiro appeared for one play to start the fourth quarter and punted on fourth down.

Schager was intercepted four times and finished 22-for-39 for 205 yards with no touchdowns.

UH running back Dae Dae Hunter broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run on Hawaii’s first play from scrimmage and added an 81-yard run for a score in the second quarter but missed the second half with an injury.

Hunter finished with 174 yards on eight carries.

Nevada senior defensive lineman Tristan Nichols, a Saint Louis alumnus, had two tackles for loss in the first half, including one on third-and-goal to force Hawaii’s Matthew Shipley to kick a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-all with 4:12 remaining in the first half.

Nevada led 20-17 at halftime and extended the lead to 34-17 at the end of the third quarter. Schager’s two third-quarter interceptions led to two Nevada touchdowns as Strong found Romeo Doubs for a 28-yard score and then hit Tory Horton for a TD on fourth-and-goal from the 3 for a 17-point lead.

Nevada tight end Cole Turner had 12 receptions for 175 yards.

Nichols ended Hawaii’s final possession with his second sack and has eight in his past four games.

Hawaii returns home for a nonconference game against New Mexico State on Oct. 23 at Ching Complex.